Chapter 11

Simon’s veins bulged with anger. “You…”

Ginny snapped, rapping her cane hard against the floor.

“I’m the one who hit him. Why are you blaming Autumn? Or do you think I’m old and useless now, so my presence no longer matters in this family?”

Everyone fell silent

That wasn’t exactly what anyone meant.

Simon shot Autumn a glare and stood up. “I’ve got things to handle at the office. I’ll head out first.”

Susan got up as well, concern in her voice. “Simon, you barely ate. Let me pack something for you to bring to the office.”

She motioned for Irene to bring over a container and had her pack up some of Simon’s favorite dishes.

Simon took the box and thanked her before grabbing his coat and heading out.

Hector sat there clutching his sore cheek, his resentment toward Autumn growing deeper.

But with Ginny protecting her, he couldn’t confront her directly.

He could only swallow his anger.

After the meal, Autumn returned to her room to spend some time chatting with Ginny.

Ginny gently touched Autumn’s face with affection. “You’ve lost so much weight. Haven’t been eating properly, have you?”

Autumn smiled. “I’m trying to slim down. I look better this way.”

“Nonsense. You’ll always be beautiful, no matter what,” Ginny said with a squinting smile. “Do you have someone you like? Bring him home for me to meet.”

She had someone she liked in the past.

However, she didn’t like him anymore

She had married Julian in secret, partly to keep the Lewis family out of it.

She once believed Julian was her safe harbor, but even ten-plus years of childhood friendship couldn’t beat a man’s selfish desire for novelty.

Love, in the end, was just daily routine and mutual resentment.

Autumn tilted her head. “No one. The only person I like is you, Grandma.”

Ginny had a habit of napping after meals and soon drifted off to sleep.

Once Autumn saw Ginny was asleep, she quietly got out of bed, told Irene she was leaving, and went home.

On the way back, Autumn received a call from her best friend Selena Long.

She picked up the Bluetooth receiver from the center console and answered the call.

Selena’s lazy voice came through the line. “Autumn, what are you doing right now?”

Autumn glanced at the traffic light ahead, slowed down, and said, “I’m driving. What’s wrong?”

Selena immediately sounded disappointed.

“Ugh? I was planning to drag you out for a shopping spree. Turns out you’re out having fun with your husband instead?”

Staring at the blinking countdown on the red light, Autumn chuckled and said, “No, I just got back from the Lewis estate. Are you home now? I can swing by and pick you up.”

“You’re not hanging out with your husband?”

“He already has someone with him. He doesn’t need me.”

Hearing the bitterness in Autumn’s tone, Selena didn’t say anything more and simply replied, “Alright, come to my apartment then. I’ll freshen up and head down.”

“Okay,” Autumn answered.

Just as the light turned green, she made a U-turn at the intersection and drove toward Selena’s place.

As soon as she got in the car, Selena started chattering non-stop, while Autumn calmly answered her questions.

Seeing how calm Autumn was, Selena couldn’t help but study her expression.

Autumn still looked completely composed.

It was as if the conversation had nothing to do with Autumn herself.

She seemed like a different person, no longer heartbroken or overwhelmed, but calm to the point of being unsettling.

Selena still couldn’t help asking, “Are you really okay?”

Autumn kept her eyes on the road and shook her head.

“What could possibly be wrong? Just because I’m no longer with a scumbag, I’m not allowed to live?”

Selena was speechless.

She wasn’t wrong, but Autumn had been obsessed with Julian for years.

Selena had tried talking sense into her more times than she could count, but Autumn never listened.

And now she suddenly snapped out of it?

At the mall, Selena picked out clothes for Autumn and spotted a red silk dress.

She pushed Autumn toward the fitting room. “This dress looks perfect on you. Go try it on.”

Autumn didn’t argue and took the dress into the fitting room.

When she came out, she stood in front of the mirror, checking herself out. “Selena, do I look good in this?”

Selena quickly walked over, her eyes lighting up.

“Autumn, you look amazing in that dress. With a figure like yours, you’d look good in anything.”

Autumn liked it too.

The soft red fabric hugged her frame, highlighting her elegant curves like it was tailor-made.

The two of them picked out a few more pieces and had everything packed up. Just as they stepped out of the store, Autumn spotted Grace and Luna walking arm in arm.

Grace saw Autumn too, her face immediately showing disdain.

But the next second, as if worried Luna might notice, she quickly pulled her along and tried to walk away.

Autumn called out to her directly. “Ms. Palmer, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Grace’s heart skipped a beat, and her first instinct was to drag Luna away.

Luna pretended not to recognize Autumn and quietly reminded her, “Madam Grace, I think someone’s calling you.”

Grace patted Luna’s hand. “I don’t know that woman. She must be calling someone else.”

She had no intention of letting Luna find out her son had once married Autumn—it would make him look like a divorced man.

“Oh.”

Luna nodded in understanding.

Since Grace wanted to pretend she didn’t know her, Luna would play along too.

She didn’t want Grace and Julian to find out that Autumn was actually one of the heiresses of the Lewis family.

Seeing how flustered Grace looked only lifted Autumn’s mood.

The more Grace refused to acknowledge her as a former daughter-in-law in public, the more Autumn felt like making herself known.

Back then, Grace had made her life miserable.

Autumn tolerated it all for Julian’s sake.

But now that the divorce was happening, she had no reason to put up with any of it.

She intended to strike while the iron was hot and reclaim the money that belonged to her.

With that thought, Autumn caught up to Grace, curved her lips into a smile, and said, “Ms. Palmer, when exactly do you plan on transferring the six million dollars you owe me?”